Fire Hold Final Training Session Of 2012 Season

The Chicago Fire Soccer Club will close out the 2012 season this week, with the final training session of the season scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 15 at Toyota Park.

The Men in Red finished the 2012 season by returning to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the 12th time in the club’s 15-year history, before falling to the Houston Dynamo 2-1 in the Eastern Conference Knockout Match Oct. 31.

In his first full season as head coach, Frank Klopas led the Men in Red to a 17-11-6 regular season record and fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The 57 points the team earned is tied with the 2000 season for the highest point total in club history.

*Training is open to the media. Fire players and coaches will be made available immediately following training.
^Training times are subject to change. Please contact Brendan Hannan at 720.937.8962 for media requests.

SEAN JOHNSON TO REPRESENT UNITED STATES IN INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced Monday that goalkeeper Sean Johnson has been called up by the U.S. Men's National Team for an international friendly against No. 9-ranked Russia on Wednesday, Nov. 14 at Kuban Stadium in Krasnodar, Russia at 9:00 a.m. CT (ESPN2/WatchESPN/Univision Deportes).

Johnson, 23, made his international debut Jan. 22, 2011 against Chile at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Johnson has been capped twice for the United States and was recently named to the travel squad for the FIFA World Cup Qualifier in Jamaica Sept. 7.

Johnson appeared in a career-high 31 regular season games for the Men in Red in 2012, accumulating a 16-10-5 record, including five shutouts. Johnson's 1.24 goals against average was the lowest in his three years as a professional. The Lilburn, Ga. native made 108 saves in 2012, including a career-high 10 saves against the San Jose Earthquakes July 28.

CHICAGO FIRE HOLIDAY PACKS NOW ON SALE
The Chicago Fire holiday pack gives fans the opportunity to witness the Men in Red in action in their first match of the 2013 season at a discounted price. This limited time offer includes four (4) Corner Kick tickets ($112 value) to Opening Night at Toyota Park, 4 Fire hats, and 4 Fire gloves all for just $99. Chicago Fire Holiday Packs are available through Ticketmaster or by calling 1-888-MLS-FIRE.

2012 Holiday Pack - $99 Includes:

Four (4) Corner Kick tickets to the Fire’s Opening Night at TOYOTA PARK

CHICAGO FIRE TO HOLD FIFTH ANNUAL OPEN TRYOUTS DECEMBER 14-15 AT BRIDGEVIEW SPORTS DOME
The Chicago Fire Soccer Club will hold its Fifth Annual Open Tryouts on Friday, Dec. 14 and Saturday, Dec. 15 at the Bridgeview Soccer & Sports Dome at 8900 S. 77th Ave. in Bridgeview, IL 60455. A map to the Bridgeview Soccer & Sports Dome can be found here. The tryout is open to male soccer players ages 18 and older who believe they can succeed at the Major League Soccer level. Members of the Fire Technical Staff will be on hand at the tryouts to observe and rank players and the winner of the Open Tryout will be awarded the chance to train with the Fire first team during the club’s preseason camp.

At the Fire’s Third Annual Open Tryout in January 2011, Chicago Fire defender Pari Pantazopoulos emerged from a group of over 200 participants from 19 different countries to win the club’s Open Tryout and a spot on the first team’s preseason roster. The Mt. Prospect, IL product advanced through all three phases of the club’s preseason camp to sign on as a member of the Chicago Fire. Pantazopoulos made his first team debut on June 28, 2011 in a U.S. Open Cup match vs. the Rochester Rhinos and went on to appear in the club’s midseason friendly against English giants Manchester United at Soldier Field on July 23.

Tryout registration is $150 (non-refundable plus processing fees) with each player guaranteed an hour of playing time. Space at the tryout is limited. All interested players must register online by visiting Chicago-Fire.com: http://www.chicago-fire.com/opentryout. Applications must be submitted online and applicants must have a valid e-mail address as registration forms will not be accepted via fax or over the phone. All registrants will be contacted with a schedule via e-mail on or before Tuesday, Dec. 11.

The registration deadline is Monday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. CT. No registration forms will be accepted after that date.

Questions can be answered by e-mailing opentryout@Chicago-Fire.com. For more information visit the club’s official website www.chicago-fire.com.
TRYOUT FORMAT*:
The first round of tryouts will take place on Friday, Dec. 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CT. Each player is required to attend the first round of tryouts and is guaranteed one hour of playing time. Each registrant will receive their time slot via email on or before Tuesday, Dec. 11. All players will be notified on site if they are to return for Day Two of the tryouts on Saturday, Dec. 15 at 9:00 a.m. CT

Day (1)
Players will be placed into teams of (7) v (7) + goalkeepers and each team will be allocated a one hour time slot. Players will be notified on site if they have been selected for the next stage.

DAY (2)
Players will be placed into teams of (11) v (11) and each team will be allocated a one hour time slot. Systematically players will be selected to move onto the next stage or notified if they have been cut.